You cancreate your own library of favourite things.So instead of key-word searching for that article or audio you read that one time that you have to print out or forward to a friend right NOW…it’s already saved in your library. Easy. Yours. Private.

how much money do you want to make this year?

I work with a lot of serious entrepreneurs. By “serious” I mean devoted, aware, hungry, keen. At conferences and party do’s, I come in to contact with plenty of hobby-preneurs, freshling-preneurs, just-getting-on-the-path-preneurs. I adore them one and I adore them all.

But this takes the wind right out of my strategic cheerleader sails:
I ask: “So how much money do you want to make this year?”
Reply: “Um…I…well…” Knife in my heart. Hole in my sails.

You’re in business to make money, right? (BTW, I operate on the premise that you’re doing work in the world that you love, and by virtue of that you’re likely making the world a better place. I don’t flippantly assume vocational integrity, but if people want to jam with me, I assume they’re in the neighbourhood of meaningful work. And once that’s established, it’s time to focus on the money, honey.)

Question 2.5 in The Burning Questions of The Fire Starter Sessions and with my 1:1 clients is this:

How much money would you LIKE to be making?

As Naomi Dunford put this question to me, “The best way to think about this question is this…we want the number that would make you happy. Not resigned. Not elated. Just happy. Somewhere between eating Ramen noodles and buying a yacht. For many people, this number is about the salary they would be making if they worked outside the home.”

Aim for that.

DECLARING HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WANT TO MAKE IN A YEAR:

1. Gives you a goal, for Chrissakes.

Goals are to manifesting what a microphone is to Lady Gaga: essential and effectual.

This may sound over-simplified, but when you know what you want to make in a year, you can do what it takes to…go make it. You can break it down. You can aim. You want to make $150K? Great. How many units do you need to ship? How many clients do you need to service? What does your profit margin need to be? What kind of a raise would you require?

Considerations:What if you have a set income, like a salary? Don’t let that hem in your earning desires. There are raises, and surprise opportunities, and frequent flier miles, and Aunties who will you their Cadillac and investments that soar. Make.the.declaration.

“I wanna rake in a million bucks this year! (says dude who just launched his first blog or has $50K in credit card debt.) If your declaration has a flavour of rebellion or feverishness to it, you might want to reign it in a bit. The desire has to come from a peaceful place. I’m not saying don’t aim high – quantum leaps and breakthroughs happen all of the time. But aim to where you’d feel proud and fulfilled. This is about creating wellness, not gluttony or exhaustion.

2. Puts it into perspective – and fast.

You may add up your financial goals with the number of hours you work in a month and realize that you’re really making $15 bucks an hour after you pay your overhead. In order to hit your target you may have to raise your rates, work from a coffee shop, or invest in the kind of expert help that gets bottom-line results. And remember, it’s not completely about what you bring in, it’s also about what you keep in your pocket. Where can you simplify? (“Simplify” is a much more attractive term than “cutback”, don’t you think?)

3. Makes you feel capable, and when you feel capable, you act capable.

With your desire declared, you’ll magically start to see ways of making things happen — in ways that work for you. If you’re more productive in the summer, you’ll crank for 3 months and wind down in the fall (to count your money.) You’ll see potential collaborators more clearly. Your dormant ideas will rise to the surface again and they’ll have strategies to back them up this time.

4. Sets you free for non-earning pursuits — for living.

As you near your fulfilled aspirations, you can let enough be enough and take the day off.

5. Sends a message to your subconscious, and your subconscious takes things way too literally (this is one of those times when you want your subconscious to take you way too literally.)

6. Summons the Idea Fairy.

The Idea Fairy is on the edge of her seat, waiting to hear your dreams so she can get to work on your behalf.

7. Signals to your tribe that you’re in it to win it.

The people who love and respect you – friends, coaches, mentors, partners — will not only hold you accountable, they’ll likely do whatever they can to help you get where they want to go. Throw a party for all of them when you get there.

Previous Post

Next Post

related posts

But what’s the MOTIVE? (And BTW, pure motives RULE). Same gesture. Same joke. Same service. Same policy. How can you spot the selfish intention when the branding is so glorious? Or how can you sense the true wisdom when the delivery is so 2000-and tacky? How can you really hear someone when your judgement is clouded by…judgement?

Lightwork can be a fight. If you think being on the “spiritual” side of progress guarantees you harmony, then either you haven’t been at it long enough or you’ve been playing it safe. Harmonizing, healing, serving, shining…it’s messy work. Beautiful. Worth it. But messy.

Of course there are times — perhaps entire years, when we are bone-baked exhausted. But being fed up is not the same as being fatigued. In the seasons when we are vivacious and brimming with life, we can’t let ourselves slip into the reflex of heaviness.

If there could be a slogan for manifestation theory, this would be it: Energy follows thought. Energy follows thought. Energy follows thought. And by the way…energy follows thought. Manifestation happens from the mind.

If “love” is confusing, then “SELF-love” can be mystifying. So I’m pressing pause on the self-love conversation to insert the word compassion… The feel of “compassion” is more direct and melting for most of us. So let’s start there. Because…

The best self-help is self-compassion. When you give yourself credit for making it this far in life—and still being a Gentle Soul—then you’ll know the Truth of Love. When, in a courageously still moment you hear yourself say, “I have everything I need right now,” then you’ll know the Truth of Faith.

You belong here.

t's FREE, of course. A membership is like having a library card. But more adorkable. You'll get access to EXCLUSIVE things:

Unlimited access to exclusive audio recordings of all my posts.

Access to special downloads, including workbooks, and digital wallpapers.

You can create a wish list to drop hints to other people about what you want for your birthday

You can create your own library of favourite things. So instead of key-word searching for that article or audio you read that one time that you have to print out or forward to a friend right NOW...it's already saved in your library. Easy. Yours. Private.

Surprises and generosity are guaranteed around here, so...there will be more. Always.